Software
/ˈsɒft.wɛə/noun
Computer programs and other operating information used by a computer.
Did you know?The word software was coined in the 1950s as a deliberate counterpart to hardware, turning an everyday adjective into a technical term for immaterial machine instructions.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
sōfte
“softly, gently, easily”
Old English
OE
sōft
“soft, not hard”
Middle English
ME
soft
“not hard; gentle; yielding”
1950s
English
software
“computer programs and related non-physical components”
Modern English
English
software
“computer programs and data used by a computer”